Address by Israeli President Shimon Peres to the British Parliament

Address by Israeli President Shimon Peres to the British Parliament; Shimon Peres address to Parliament SOT - The Middle East requires international support to make change possible. Israel will do its utmost to support the moderates. Some of the Arab leaders with whom I spoke indicated that if the Palestinian conflict is resolved, they can view it as a stepping stone towards a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Israel decided to continue negotiations with the Palestinians even throughout the upcoming elections. We shall try to conclude the domains in which major progress has already been made. The basic premise of the negotiations is the two state solution, namely, to establish an independent Palestinian State living side by side with Israel, with secure borders, peace and prosperity. My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, We are not at war with the Iranian people. It is the Iranian leadership that calls for war against us – non-Muslims and Muslims who refuse to adhere to their attempt to gain hegemony. On one hand, we see how Iranian radicalism thrives on the division of the international community and the disproportionate cost of oil. It permits them to invest fortunes in weapons of mass destruction in spite of their feeble economy. This Iranian policy is a grave danger to world security. The way to confront it now is an economic strategy that will value development and punish belligerency. On the other hand, Europe, Japan, Turkey and the United States have announced their economic commitment to the Palestinian state-in-being. They may be willing to extend their support for a new Middle East in support of people, not weapons. A new Middle East can follow the example of the European Union: political borders without economic divide. It is essential to end incitement and introduce a language of peace – in places of worship and in schools alike.